MANY shops closed early yesterday as fears of looting and vandalism hung over Coventry city centre for a second night.

Shopkeepers in the City Arcade were among a number of traders looking at an early departure.

Helen Wickett, of Kittys Sweet Shop, said she believed a number of stores were closing early.

She said: ‘‘I will be leaving early because I believe prevention is better than cure and our safety is more important.

“It is like a small community here in the City Arcade and we have been popping into each other’s shops to discuss our plans and what we have heard.

"We were due to hold a meeting on Tuesday night, but we were forced to cancel because of fears of rioting.”

A number of stores across Coventry closed early on Tuesday, with some even boarding up windows in fear that scenes in London and Birmingham would be repeated here.

Helen added: “I took a lot of my stock home as a safety measure. Another problem is how quiet the city centre has been over the last couple of days, which could be because people are scared to come into Coventry.”